It’s Pet Dental Month, Don’t Forget To Keep Your Dog’s And Cat’s Teeth Clean

There are plenty of reasons you should brush your pet’s teeth and pay close attention to their oral health. It may seem like a hassle at first and you may scoff at the idea of buying pet toothbrushes, pet tooth paste, or paying for a dental cleaning. But in the long run, it could save you a lot of money and keep your pet happier, healthier, and in your life a lot longer.

[Dental Health is] more than just a cosmetic issue, bad breath and yellow teeth can be a sign of serious disease in our pets, which may affect their kidneys, livers, and hearts. -AVMA

According to The Vets Animal Hospital, “Without routine dental care, most dogs and cats develop periodontal (dental) disease by 3 years of age.” Most of us still consider our 3 year old pets puppies and kittens, but they can already have tooth problems if you don’t take care of them. Simple things such as brushing their teeth and taking them for routine dental checkups can prevent a lot of serious problems. (And do not use human toothpaste for your pets!)

Click here for a little tutorial on pet tooth brushing. And Ccick these links to see what goes into a proper dental exam and what happens during a complete dental cleaning. (You can see by the picture below just how much of a difference Cora's last cleaning made.)

Are you worried your pet might already have dental problems?  Some things to look out for:

• Bad breath
• Sensitivity around the mouth
• Loss of appetite
• Yellow or brown deposits on the teeth
• Bleeding, inflamed, and withdrawn gums
• Loose or missing teeth
• Pawing at the mouth or face
• Difficulty chewing

One of my corgis, Kiwi, recently had to have two teeth pulled at The Vets Animal Hospital in Windsor. She had cracked them while chewing on something and had to have them removed. I had no idea she had cracked her teeth, she had just been a little cranky for a couple of weeks and I brought her in her a routine dental exam and they found the problems. They took great care of her there and they even sent me this picture of Kiwi after she had woken up from her surgery. Within a few days of that she was back to her old happy self, just with two-fewer teeth.

Trust me, taking care of your pet’s teeth and preventing dental problems is a lot easier, a lot cheaper, and a lot healthier than waiting and trying to fix problems that you’ve let develop in your pet's mouth.

Being that it is Dental Health month there are a lot of specials available for getting your pets teeth cleaned, so you’re out excuses. Get your pet's pearly whites taken care of now!

[The Vets Animal Hospital Website]

[The Vets Animal Hospital on Facebook]